Costco and RX drugs
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Platinum Member Username: LklivesPost Number: 12989 Registered: Jan-06 | The following is true according to Snopes: http://www.snopes.com/medical/drugs/generic.asp This is worth reading. Be sure to read to the end. You will be amazed (Embedded image moved to file: pic06334.jpg) COSTCO, read this Let's hear it for Costco!! (This is just mind-boggling!) Make sure you read all the way past the list of the drugs The woman that signed below is a Budget Analyst out of federal Washington, DC offices. Did you ever wonder how much it costs a drug company for the active ingredient in prescription medications? Some people think it must cost a lot, since many drugs sell for more than $2.00 per tablet. We did a search of offshore chemical synthesizers that supply the active ingredients found in drugs approved by the FDA. As we have revealed in past issues of Life Extension, a significant percentage of drugs sold in the United States contain active ingredients made in other countries. In our independent investigation of how much profit drug companies really make, we obtained the actual price of active ingredients used in some of the most popular drugs sold in America The data below speaks for itself. Celebrex: 100 mg Consumer price (100 tablets): $130.27 Cost of general active ingredients: $0.60 Percent markup: 21,712% (Embedded image moved to file: pic26500.gif) Claritin: 10 mg Consumer Price (100 tablets): $215.17 Cost of general active ingredients: $0.71 Percent markup: 30,306% (Embedded image moved to file: pic19169.jpg) Keflex: 250 mg Consumer Price (100 tablets): $157.39 Cost of general active ingredients: $1.88 Percent markup: 8,372% (Embedded image moved to file: pic15724.jpg) Lipitor: 20 mg Consumer Price (100 tablets): $272.37 Cost of general active ingredients: $5.80 Percent markup: 4,696% (Embedded image moved to file: pic11478.jpg) Norvasc: 10 mg Consumer price (100 tablets): $188.29 Cost of general active ingredients: $0.14 Percent markup: 134,493% (Embedded image moved to file: pic29358.jpg) Paxil: 20 mg Consumer price (100 tablets): $220.27 Cost of general active ingredients: $7.60 Percent markup: 2,898% (Embedded image moved to file: pic26962.jpg) Prevacid: 30 mg Consumer price (100 tablets): $44.77 Cost of general active ingredients: $1.01 Percent markup: 34,136% (Embedded image moved to file: pic24464.jpg) Prilosec : 20 mg Consumer price (100 tablets): $360.97 Cost of general active ingredients $0.52 Percent markup: 69,417% (Embedded image moved to file: pic05705.jpg) Prozac: 20 mg Consumer price (100 tablets) : $247.47 Cost of general active ingredients: $0.11 Percent markup: 224,973% (Embedded image moved to file: pic28145.jpg) Tenormin: 50 mg Consumer price (100 tablets): $104.47 Cost of general active ingredients: $0.13 Percent markup: 80,362% (Embedded image moved to file: pic23281.jpg) Vasotec: 10 mg Consumer price (100 tablets): $102.37 Cost of general active ingredients: $0.20 Percent markup: 5 1,185% (Embedded image moved to file: pic16827.jpg) Xanax: 1 mg Consumer price (100 tablets) : $136.79 Cost of general active ingredients: $0.024 Percent markup: 569,958% (Embedded image moved to file: pic09961.jpg) Zestril: 20 mg Consumer price (100 tablets) $89.89 Cost of general active ingredients $3.20 Percent markup: 2,809 (Embedded image moved to file: pic00491.jpg) Zithromax: 600 mg Consumer price (100 tablets): $1,482.19 Cost of general active ingredients: $18.78 Percent markup: 7,892% (Embedded image moved to file: pic02995.jpg) Zocor: 40 mg Consumer price (100 tablets): $350.27 Cost of general active ingredients: $8.63 Percent markup: 4,059% (Embedded image moved to file: pic11942.jpg) Zoloft: 50 mg Consumer price: $206.87 Cost of general active ingredients: $1.75 Percent markup: 11,821% (Embedded image moved to file: pic04827.jpg) Since the cost of prescription drugs is so outrageous, I thought everyone should know about this. Please read the following and pass it on. It pays to shop around. This helps to solve the mystery as to why they can afford to put a Walgreen's on every corner. On Monday night, Steve Wilson, an investigative reporter for Channel 7 News in Detroit, did a story on generic drug price gouging by pharmacies. He found in his investigation, that some of these generic drugs were marked up as much as 3,000% or more. Yes, that's not a typo.....three thousand percent! So often, we blame the drug companies for the high cost of drugs, and usually rightfully so. But in t his case, the fault clearly lies with the pharmacies themselves. For example, if you had to buy a prescription drug, and bought the name brand, you might pay $100 for 100 pills. The pharmacist might tell you that if you get the generic equivalent, they would only cost $80, making you think you are 'saving' $20. What the pharmacist is not telling you is that those 100 generic pills may have only cost him $10! At the end of the report, one of the anchors asked Mr. Wilson whether, or not there were any pharmacies that did not adhere to this practice, and he said that Costco consistently charged little over their cost for the generic drugs. (Embedded image moved to file: pic05436.jpg) I went to the Costco site, where you can look up any drug, and get its online price. It says that the in-store prices are consistent with the online prices. I was appalled. Just to give you one example from my own experience, I had to use the drug, Compazine, which helps prevent nausea in chemo patients. (Embedded image moved to file: pic32391.jpg) I used the generic equivalent, which cost $54.99 for 60 pills at CVS. I checked the price at Costco, and I could have bought 100 pills for $19.89. For 145 of my pain pills, I paid $72.57. I could have got 150 at Costco for $28.08. I would like to mention, that although Costco is a 'membership' type store, you do NOT have to be a member to buy prescriptions there, as it is a federally regulated substance. You just tell them at the door that you wish to use the pharmacy, and they will let you in. (this is true) I went there this past Thursday and asked them. I am asking each of you to please help me by copying this letter, and passing it into your own e-mail, and send it to everyone you know with an e-mail address. Sharon L. Davis Budget Analyst U.S. Department of Commerce Room 6839 Office Ph: 202-482-4458 Office Fax: 202-482-5480 E-mail Address: sdavis@doc.gov (Embedded image moved to file: pic14604.gif) |
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Gold Member Username: StefanomVienna, VA United States Post Number: 1090 Registered: Apr-06 | There are very real reasons why drugs cost much, much more than their active ingredient cost. Even making that comparison is completely asinine. R&D for drugs takes years. The people doing the R&D are very well paid as they tend to be very well educated. Then there are clinical trials where some drugs get weeded out. Those trials are costly in terms of time and money. Then drugs go for FDA approval. Some get shot down, and that is more money lost. Then if a drug makes it past that gauntlet and still manages to have some side effect, you then get to the unfortunate phase of lawsuits. Lets take a look at Vioxx and Merck. One case regarding the death of Robert Ernst will cost $253.4 million dollars. There are thousands of pending lawsuits for this drug alone. For legal fees alone, Merck has over $600 million set aside. Then we get to the pharmacy side of the equation. A pharmacist is not an unskilled twit who gets paid $10 an hour for starters. They get paid, very well. They have to do a 100% precision job, EVERY time. Then of course there is the other BS that is involved with running a pharmacy. Consultations with patients regarding the meds they are receiving. Paperwork. Dealing with insurance companies (most of which pay contracted amounts for medications which are much less than what an uninsured person would pay). Again, the issue of lawsuits pops up (one mistake is all it takes). If Costco has a system by which they can do it for less, great. But by and large, there are reasons for why things are the way they are. |
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Gold Member Username: StefanomVienna, VA United States Post Number: 1091 Registered: Apr-06 | I would also note that under my insurance, I paid a whopping $5 for the last prescription I filled (generic). PS: Rejoice for capitalism. |
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Gold Member Username: AdddisorderPalm Beach, Florida Post Number: 5348 Registered: Jan-06 | thats interesting. costco is a pretty good place to shop at anyway. |
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Platinum Member Username: WingmanaliveA pic is worth 1000 posts!! Post Number: 10691 Registered: Jun-06 | Don't forget about the kickbacks doctors get when they prescribe high profile drugs. Seems everytime a company develops a generic alternative to an expensive exotic drug doctors start pushing the next one. Anytime you sell something addictive or necessary you create a monopoly for the greedy that thrives off the masses. Car insurance, gasoline, health insurance, ect..... My sister's last baby was delivered without complications. Hospital bill was over $30,000!! There were charges like blankets: $500......pharmacuticals: $5000....general supplies: $900....... She woke up the next morning and saw 5 different doctors' names on her chart. Each one got a "consultation fee". They were robbing her. There were charges that came with a billing code. When she asked what those charges were they refused the info. They said it was hospital language she wouldn't understand. It's more than enough to make anyone sick.  |
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Gold Member Username: PitbullguyAscendant Audio Arsenals, Chicago Post Number: 1999 Registered: Oct-06 | Stephen M. FTW!!! stephen you have a wealth of knowledge sir....or you just use google a lot  |
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Platinum Member Username: LklivesPost Number: 12996 Registered: Jan-06 | Obviously overhead expenses were calculated in place, when these prices were provided!...so that rant about R&D, and lawsuits is ridiculous! Costco prices still remain much cheaper...do I care if Merck has lawsuits?...Hell NO!....do I care if Costco has cheaper prescriptions?...Hell Yes! How can anybody justify the costs of drugs here in the US , when our neighbors in Canada sells these same drugs to the US drug companies and residents for much cheaper?...and why are US city governments (Springfield Mass) is buying their prescriptions from Candada for their city employees..there is NO WAY IN HELL, anybody can justify the drug costs in the US!...so get em from Canada or Costco... and yes some are lucky enough to have a small RX co payment, BUT they have already paid for the balance thru costly health care premuims , or cutbacks in hourly wages....so that $5 co payment is nothing to be proud of...its just the same OVERALL HUGE fee, but is disguised as an small "nominal" RX co-pay to an employeee.. |
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Gold Member Username: StefanomVienna, VA United States Post Number: 1093 Registered: Apr-06 | I'd like to believe it is a little bit of both Pit. I will note that I've worked in the health care industry in the past though, and have a bit more insight into its inner workings than your average Joe who reads something about the evils of the system in the Washington Post. LK: "Obviously overhead expenses were calculated in place, when these prices were provided!" "Cost of general active ingredients" does not indicate to me that the overhead of the respective pharmaceutical company is in fact taken into account. As such, until decisively shown otherwise, it is very much so a valid argument. "do I care if Merck has lawsuits?...Hell NO!" You very much should care. They are spending *billions* for legal issues. Who do you think absorbs that cost, their CEO or us? "do I care if Costco has cheaper prescriptions?...Hell Yes! " As you should. If they can cut some fat to reduce costs, more power to them. "How can anybody justify the costs of drugs here in the US , when our neighbors in Canada sells these same drugs to the US drug companies and residents for much cheaper?" Easy. The two simply are completely and utterly different markets with completely and utterly different systems of health care administration. Fortunately with your above example of Costco, it should only be a matter of time before prescription costs fall. That is the way of capitalism. "and yes some are lucky enough to have a small RX co payment, BUT they have already paid for the balance thru costly health care premuims" Hard to say since health care coverage does a lot more than just pay for your prescriptions. And of course it depends on your employer and insurance company among other things as to how "costly" it is. |
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Gold Member Username: StefanomVienna, VA United States Post Number: 1094 Registered: Apr-06 | Paul: Unfortunately obstetrics is one of the worst areas of medicine to practice in terms of putting yourself at risk of a lawsuit. Hence the cost is proportionally higher. In addition, the testing that goes on for a newborn baby are extensive and thus costly. Sure the kid had no problems, but doctors cannot assume that by any means. As far as the cost reporting, where I worked we were required by law to disclose what the billing meant, but that varies from state to state. In reality, most of that "overcharging" goes to the hospitals overhead costs. Yeah the blanket probably didn't cost $500, but they're getting you for that $50 million lawsuit they lost six months back, or the billing issues they're having with an insurance company, or some other load of crap that the average person wouldn't care about, but probably should. As far as I'm concerned, there are so many problems with our health system today that it is largely beyond help. Realistically, there are problems with legislation, billing & efficiency, lawsuits, insurance costs, etc which will continue to keep the system screwed up until Hillary declares free health care for all. |
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Platinum Member Username: LklivesPost Number: 12998 Registered: Jan-06 | Well thats about the biggest pile of horseshit I ever read! ....hard to believe that somebody would actually "buy" into that defense of RX and medical or related costs!...I love it when the medical field blames the insurance industry and vice versa, and BOTH are picking your pockets and reporting the highest profits in history!....I still can't get over how any functioning brain can justifying a $500 blanket or aspirin (unless they were profiting or very high)...but there are all kinds on this planet! |
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Gold Member Username: The_image_dynamicSan Diego Post Number: 2970 Registered: Dec-06 | "Obviously overhead expenses were calculated in place, when these prices were provided!...so that rant about R&D, and lawsuits is ridiculous!" Wow, just wow LK. Stephen pretty much summed it up in his excellent post but let me add (and repeat) what he tried to say. As much as we all hate the costs of prescription drugs in this country, it is ignorant to look at the cost of the ingredients alone. The main cost that is added to these medicines is the countless hours (for 10 years) of the biomedical engineers who work tirelessly on the formulation of such medicines. What LK is saying is thoughtless and bordering on insane. Look at it this way... have you ever purchased a piece of electronics for say -- $1000, and thought to yourself, hey! there is no more than $50 worth of actual parts here? Well ummm, you are missing the point of all of the dollars that are pumped in to the effort to develop such a device. Develop is the key word here. As Stephen said before me, material costs have nothing to do with the actual final cost of any product. You have to look at engineering, prototypes, salaries, and a hundred other factors that are all put into the final cost. Do you think the powder that makes up Viagra is actually worth $20 a pill? No. But the research and development and related costs most certainly are. Sure, the markup for most drugs seems exorbitant, but anyone with a background in development, or for that matter any common sense, knows that the selling price for just about anything combines many factors. LK Lives Yes, he lives BECAUSE of the incredible talent and intelligence of scientists and biomedical engineers that spend their lives formulating drugs and treatments that save millions of lives worldwide. |
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Gold Member Username: StefanomVienna, VA United States Post Number: 1099 Registered: Apr-06 | Well said Brad. LK: Saying my statements are horseshit unfortunately is not an effective counterargument. |
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Gold Member Username: StefanomVienna, VA United States Post Number: 1100 Registered: Apr-06 | I would note that people who are really interested in the problems of the health care industry should consider several things. 1. Lawsuits. More and more frivolous lawsuits are filed each year, which cause malpractice/liability insurance rates for doctors to go up. In addition, it causes far more generally needless tests to be run, because if they miss a 1 and a million shot, you will sue them. 2. Cost of an education. With young doctors being saddled with over 100k in student loans, they very much so have a right to charge a lot of money. 3. Uneducated consumers and abuse of the privilege of insurance. People who go to the ER with a cold. People who see the doctor every week for some inane illness that they think they have. Simply put, because people pay less to see the doctor, they do it a heck of a lot more. It takes away a check in the system of checks and balances. For better or worse, it does affect the prices we pay and quality of care we receive. 4. Piss poor cost reporting practices by the health care industry. Need I really explain? 5. The government and our laws. Seriously. Doctors haven't received a pay raise from medicare and medicaid in forever. As such, they invent new ways to get their income. This includes things like sending patients home from the ER just to have them come in a couple hours later to get a second incidence. Yes, doctors don't get paid for actually curing anything. They get paid for each time you come in. Lovely, ehh? Thats just a start... |
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Platinum Member Username: LklivesPost Number: 13001 Registered: Jan-06 | ALL the above factors are included with the prices at Costco...Canada...or Walgreens!....how can U honestly defend these prices!...and their wide spreads and differences! BTW...I have no sympathy for any doctors, cause none of them are hurting financially!...regardless if they didn't get a raise from the elderly , disabled or poor, via medicare or medicaid! Sorry I ever started this thread, trying to save some people money!...U all want to start an argument!...and justify gouging my the medical and pharmaceutical companies , who as I stated have reported the highest profits in history! |
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Platinum Member Username: WingmanaliveA pic is worth 1000 posts!! Post Number: 10694 Registered: Jun-06 | I completely understand how the history of a product's development is absorbed into the price. I can also sympathize with anyone who's had an idea stolen out of the U.S. patent office. As a single parent who pays health insurance premiums it's frustrating when you have to fork over all the co-pays on top of them. Yeah I know why they're there, just sick of always paying for something that so many get for free and shouldn't even have in this country. A couple years ago I cut my thumb on my bandsaw. Pretty bad. (I'll never brush the dust off with my hand again). Luckily my ex had the kids that night. I raced myself to the hospital holding my thumb together with a dish rag. I needed 13 stiches and have nerve damage that will never heal. Here's the kicker. After I frantically rush into the emergency room I was stopped by the receptionist who demanded to see my insurance. I had to fill out paperwork BEFORE they would look at me. My BP was taken, 180/110. (That's extremely high). Someone from triage took a peak at my thumb and told me to go have a seat. "What!!??" 4 hours I waited. 4 hours it took someone to finally call my name. In the meantime I watched as coughing children came in the door and went straight through. There were doctors and nurses hanging around watching tv and I sat holding my thumb together in a dish rag for 4 hours. Several didn't even have insurance. The ones who could speak english only lied about leaving their card at home. I pay my taxes, every premium that's required of me and my dues in life. Why should I not only pay but wait behind those who don't? Oh, and the cost of those stitches? 4 hours waiting, 20 minutes of actual "attention", 4 x-rays, one tetnus shot = $1800+. That's about $138 a stitch. Naturally I wrote to the hospital demanding an explanation and never got any response. Weeks later I skipped my appointment to have them removed and did it myself. Probably saved myself $300. |
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Platinum Member Username: LklivesPost Number: 13008 Registered: Jan-06 | I could go on and on about medical financial rip offs...I broke my left thumb playing 3rd base, putting the tag on a runner, in a state softball tournament in 2004... cost = $12,000...fuuuuccking ridicoulous!...a simple Xray and set it and forget it! (cast and remove 6 weeks later)... For that kinda of money I should have at least gotten a blow job out of it!...I hate all medical, legal, and insurance industries!...biggest thieves in the world! |
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Gold Member Username: StefanomVienna, VA United States Post Number: 1101 Registered: Apr-06 | "ALL the above factors are included with the prices at Costco...Canada" They very much are NOT in Canada. They have socialized medicine. Very different animal. As far as Costco, who knows what they do. But be thankful. If they are successful selling prescription drugs at those prices, prices WILL be driven down by it. "BTW...I have no sympathy for any doctors, cause none of them are hurting financially!" Depends on the doctor, where they work, how far along in their career they are, etc. "who as I stated have reported the highest profits in history!" Exxon posted the highest profits in history, last I checked. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/01/business/01wire-exxon.html?hp&ex=1170392400&en =b7b1b071195215b3&ei=5094&partner=homepage -------------------- Look LK, I can understand where you're coming from. But you're simplifying this way way way way too much.You yourself originally said it wasn't entirely the RX companies fault, but partly the pharmacies as well, given that Costco could undercut the rest. The problem is a lot more complex than I think you realize. It isn't something that will be easy to fix, and it is far more complex than a few greedy execs at Pfizer. |
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Platinum Member Username: LklivesPost Number: 13010 Registered: Jan-06 | Exxon is NOT in the medical field, last time I checked!...BTW, thats what we're discussing here...knock...knock.. ALL doctors make HUGE incomes! And GREED IS NOT COMPLEX! |
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Gold Member Username: StefanomVienna, VA United States Post Number: 1102 Registered: Apr-06 | Thats actually pretty cheap Paul (your thumb is worth 2k is it not?), and that is why we have insurance. The service sounds really bad though... Actually, lawsuit bad, with the nerve damage. |
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Gold Member Username: StefanomVienna, VA United States Post Number: 1103 Registered: Apr-06 | Well Pfizer just posted their lowest quarterly income since 2005, and cut 12000 jobs, so I don't think they're doing extraordinarily well. You didn't make the qualifier of "in the medical industry" though as far as "highest profits in history". "ALL doctors make HUGE incomes!" Not all do, and most if not all have HUGE expenses. Besides, they very much so have a right to have a huge income. For what they do, the doctors themselves are very much underpaid. So are nurses. Hence why we are starting to experience shortages of trained staff in hospitals. |
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Platinum Member Username: WingmanaliveA pic is worth 1000 posts!! Post Number: 10695 Registered: Jun-06 | Well I never blamed anyone but me for the injury. 4 hours in a waiting room however behind runny noses puts a bad taste in my mouth. They even employ someone to greet you at the door. That's all he did was say "hi" when you walked it. 4 hours I listened to this guy thinking to myself how much the hospital pays him (with benefits) to repeat the single word for 8 hours. Nurses on smoke break, watching person after person go in b4 me...... One kid actually had an upset stomach and was wheeled in on a gurney. Is my thumb worth more than 2k? Absolutely. It's also worth immediate attention which I didn't get. I've been paying for health insurance since I was 18. That's 18 years of premiums. I currently pay $125/week. Even if you average it out to $75/week x 936 weeks = $70,000+. Not to mention all the $$ dished out to co-pays and non covered procedures and meds.... It's a business, and a wealthy one. Yes there are always horror stories that prompt everyone to kick in every week and pay the premium. If I invested that 70 grand over those 18 years I could retire today. I just hate how the industry holds the fact that you "just can't do without insurance" above you. It's a bad situation. One that forces my father to ignore medical attention because of the fear of them taking his house, and they would. He was diagnosed with diabetes years ago. He listened to the docs and went through all the tests and procedures. Paid THOUSANDS of $$ in scripts. Altered his diet and the whole nine yards. Had to take out a second mortgage. He's 65 and starting over on paying off his house. Recently his doctor told him he was wrongfully diagnosed. After even more tests turns out he DOESN'T have diabetes. Does he get a refund? Just one big whoops? After that he vowed against the medical field. Today he's healthy as a horse and broke as hell and will never see his home paid for. May never retire. |
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Platinum Member Username: LklivesPost Number: 13011 Registered: Jan-06 | Regarding Pfizer...Wall Street has forecast profit of $2.12 per share on revenue of $47.55 billion for the full year.. |
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Platinum Member Username: LklivesPost Number: 13012 Registered: Jan-06 | Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller announced Tuesday that the state has filed a lawsuit against 78 pharmaceutical companies, alleging the companies inflated drug prices for Medicaid patients, costing the state millions of dollars over several years. Iowa follows the lead of more than 20 states that have filed similar lawsuits seeking to recover money they say was overpaid to drug companies. Texas has recovered more than $55 million so far, Miller said. "It makes me angry that Iowa taxpayers are forced to pay more to finance record drug industry profits because the defendant drug companies do not honor their obligations under law to deal honestly with the government," Miller said. |
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Gold Member Username: StefanomVienna, VA United States Post Number: 1104 Registered: Apr-06 | "Regarding Pfizer...Wall Street has forecast profit of $2.12 per share on revenue of $47.55 billion for the full year.." Uhh so what? They aren't allowed to be profitable now? As far as Iowa is concerned, that proves little as well. If the companies breeched their contracts, then take them to court. It happens, and thats why we have a legal system. |
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Gold Member Username: StefanomVienna, VA United States Post Number: 1105 Registered: Apr-06 | Sucks Paul. Unfortunately mistakes happen. |
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Platinum Member Username: WingmanaliveA pic is worth 1000 posts!! Post Number: 10701 Registered: Jun-06 | Yeah they do. Cost my father his golden years. He's a truck driver. He can't keep doing what he does, his body just says no. My folks will probably have to shack up with one of their kin. Something that will shatter my pop's heart/pride. Worked hard all his life and now this...... |
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Platinum Member Username: LklivesPost Number: 13013 Registered: Jan-06 | I believe my point and Paul's, regarding the medical and pharmaceutical industries are self explanatory and obvious ...and need not be repied with such a nonchalant pro business ..."geeze, so what, thats life" attitude.. Its that complacency and lame excuses, that allows BIG BUSINESS to screw the people daily! |
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Gold Member Username: StefanomVienna, VA United States Post Number: 1106 Registered: Apr-06 | I don't recall anybody saying the system was perfect LK. However, there are reasons why things are the way they are. We are part of the problem; Congress is part of the problem; the health care industry is part of the problem. To lay the blame solely at the feet of the health care industry is stupid, and shows a complete lack of understanding of all the issues. If that is too much for you to handle, too bad. As far as Paul is concerned, yeah his dad got screwed. But that is a whole other issue. In either case, I'm out of this discussion. It seems blatantly apparent that you prefer to scapegoat doctors instead of actually discuss the issues of why things are the way they are. That you have the gall to even imply that someone who saves lives on a daily basis doesn't deserve a heck of a lot of compensation for his work shows how your mind operates. CYA! |
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Platinum Member Username: LklivesPost Number: 13017 Registered: Jan-06 | oh geez...now all doctors are Mother Teresa...LMAO...cut me a break!... Most doctors I know now and grew up with, were RICH kids from wealthy families, who were the ONLY ones who could afford to go to college, and they were NOT rocket scientists in school either...who maintained that wealthy "status" by making HUGE incomes via payoffs from pharmecutical companies and suppliers, overcharging patients and insurance companies! ... BTW...next time I see a podiatrist, I'll tell him thanks for saving my life ....and overpay him for his wonderful removal of a corn, and advice to buy better sneakers....thats should be worth about $2000 and a free all expenses weekend trip to Aspen for him and his family..along with more new free sneakers from Dr Scholls to sell his patients and give to his friends and family ....which he can give to while playing Free golf on Wednesday with his fellow doctors and friends, or while sitting in the free complimentary box seats at the next ball game.. |